Jack Tretton departs from SCEA

Sony Computer Entertainment of America's president and CEO Jack Tretton is stepping down from his role with the company on 31st March, 2014.

Jack Tretton

According to Sony, this is due to a "mutual agreement" between both parties.

Tretton has been with SCEA since the branch of the company began in 1995, where Tretton played a pivotal role in bringing PlayStation to the west. In his time leading the company, Sony sold over 50 million PS2s in North America and over 1 million PS4s in the territory in the console's first day on store shelves.

"Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career," said Tretton. "Although I will deeply miss the talented team at SCEA and the passion demonstrated every day by our fans, I'm very excited about starting the next chapter of my career. I want to thank the employees, partners and customers for their tireless commitment to the PlayStation brand and, of course, to our fans who have pushed us to new heights of innovation and entertainment over the past two decades. I leave PlayStation in a position of considerable strength and the future will only get brighter for PlayStation Nation."

Shawn Layden

His position will be filled by Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI) EVP and COO Shawn Layden. Layden has been with PlayStation for 15 years where he was one of the founders of SNEI in 2010 and prior to that served as the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. He also spent eight years at SCE Worldwide Studios in London where he directed international software development.

"It's an honor and privilege to join Sony Computer Entertainment America and be a part of the team that is leading the next generation of gaming and entertainment," Layden said in Sony's announcement about the position change. "SCEA is committed to delivering breakthrough gaming experiences that inspire fans and exceed their wildest expectations. As PS4 shows us every day, there has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation community and I look forward to working with our retail, development, publishing and network partners to further demonstrate why PlayStation is the best place to play."

It has not yet been revealed what Tretton will be doing following his departure and Sony is declining to comment on the matter.